Baptists train for disaster relief

Published: Saturday, June 8, 2013 at 5:11 p.m.

Last Modified: Saturday, June 8, 2013 at 5:11 p.m.

Ted Beddingfield can still remember the lines of people in Baytown, a suburb of Houston, waiting to be fed. In the wake of Hurricane Ike, the N.C. Baptist Men responded with its Disaster Relief ministry in 2008.

Beddingfield worked as a member of the team that was responsible for feeding those affected by the disaster. In one day, at the peak of need, the team fed 56,000 people.

On Saturday, 500 Baptists from the region gathered at Beddingfield's church, Hendersonville First Baptist Church, to train in disaster relief. He served as the coordinator for the event between the state group and the churches.

The volunteers in attendance lived as if they were responding to a disaster. They slept on air mattresses in the different church buildings, much like they would in a real disaster. Meals were served in the same fashion. They practiced tearing down structures.

"We try to make this as close to a disaster as possible," training coordinator John Gore said. "That gives them a taste of what will happen when they go out."

The group responds to any and all disasters when asked. They've responded to areas hit by earthquakes, hurricanes, tornados and acts of terror like the World Trade Center attacks.

"Basically, wherever there's a disaster, we'll be there," Gore said.

The group has 12,000 to 15,000 volunteers who can respond. It's a unit of the Southern Baptist Association. More than 40 states have active disaster relief organizations within the association, Gore said.

The training, which took place Friday and Saturday, included feeding, chainsaw work, instructional classes on putting up sheet rock, roof repair, fork lift classes, showers, laundry and chaplaincy.

The group has members serving in relief still for the Oklahoma tornados and Hurricane Sandy, and they're still helping rebuild from Hurricane Irene.

The most complicated and difficult test in post-disaster service, Beddingfield said, is the process of feeding those affected.

"That's where the biggest need is," he said.

The organization has five feeding units, Gore said. Three of those units have the capacity to feed 80,000 people per day.

And that's why Beddingfield decided to join the ministry. It reaches out into parts of the country and world that need help the most.

"I just wanted to get involved," he said. "The motivation was to help people."

<p>Ted Beddingfield can still remember the lines of people in Baytown, a suburb of Houston, waiting to be fed. In the wake of Hurricane Ike, the N.C. Baptist Men responded with its Disaster Relief ministry in 2008.</p><p>Beddingfield worked as a member of the team that was responsible for feeding those affected by the disaster. In one day, at the peak of need, the team fed 56,000 people. </p><p>On Saturday, 500 Baptists from the region gathered at Beddingfield's church, Hendersonville First Baptist Church, to train in disaster relief. He served as the coordinator for the event between the state group and the churches.</p><p>The volunteers in attendance lived as if they were responding to a disaster. They slept on air mattresses in the different church buildings, much like they would in a real disaster. Meals were served in the same fashion. They practiced tearing down structures. </p><p>"We try to make this as close to a disaster as possible," training coordinator John Gore said. "That gives them a taste of what will happen when they go out."</p><p>The group responds to any and all disasters when asked. They've responded to areas hit by earthquakes, hurricanes, tornados and acts of terror like the World Trade Center attacks. </p><p>"Basically, wherever there's a disaster, we'll be there," Gore said. </p><p>The group has 12,000 to 15,000 volunteers who can respond. It's a unit of the Southern Baptist Association. More than 40 states have active disaster relief organizations within the association, Gore said. </p><p>The training, which took place Friday and Saturday, included feeding, chainsaw work, instructional classes on putting up sheet rock, roof repair, fork lift classes, showers, laundry and chaplaincy. </p><p>The group has members serving in relief still for the Oklahoma tornados and Hurricane Sandy, and they're still helping rebuild from Hurricane Irene. </p><p>The most complicated and difficult test in post-disaster service, Beddingfield said, is the process of feeding those affected. </p><p>"That's where the biggest need is," he said. </p><p>The organization has five feeding units, Gore said. Three of those units have the capacity to feed 80,000 people per day. </p><p>And that's why Beddingfield decided to join the ministry. It reaches out into parts of the country and world that need help the most.</p><p>"I just wanted to get involved," he said. "The motivation was to help people."</p><p>Reach Millwood at 828-694-7881 or at joey.millwood@blueridgenow.com.</p>